Guide to Baby Hat Knitting Pattern Ideas

A baby hat or beanie is an easy and quick knit. What makes them fun is the various cute themes they are designed in. Most of them are knitted in the round but they can also be knitted flat and then seamed.

My picks will start with basic shapes and borders before moving on to those cute designs inspired by all sort of things around us.

Basic Shape

1. Mama’s Basic Baby Hat Knit Pattern

Image source: Mama’s Stitchery Projects

If you are new to knitting caps, this is a good basic baby hat knit pattern to learn. It starts off with 2-stitch ribbing and continues in stockinette stitch. You can use double-pointed needles, magic loop or 2 circular needles to make this hat. A variegated yarn would make the hat more interesting than a plain solid colour.

2. Carissa’s Preemie Hat For Charity

Image source: Carissa Browning

Carissa offers 5 different versions of preemie hats to knit. 4 of them share the same basic shape and one that is more like a beanie. The 4 versions feature stitch patterns like eyelets, hearts, diamonds, and stripes. Make all 5 and donate them to your nearest maternity hospital.

5. Ashlee’s Reindeer Beanie

Image source: Ashlee Marie

Ashlee Marie did a fantastic job with the reindeer’s antlers on this knit baby hat. It is so cute, I am itching to knit this. Ashlee suggested picking up and knitting the antlers straight from the hat. She gave clear instructions and even have a picture of how to pick up the 12 stitches. I personally would do this just to avoid having to sew them on later.

6. Rudolph’s hat

Image source: Carissa

Another reindeer hat and with that little red nose, we all know who this is. I think this baby hat knitting pattern is clearly written. You have a chance to learn a new way to cast on called the tubular cast-on that gives ribbing a nicer edge.

7. Frog’s hat

With 2 white pom poms as eyes and a stitched red line for a mouth, the froggy outfit is completed with a pair of webbed socks which is included in the set. Get the pattern of Froggie Set.

Fruit and Vegetable Theme

Fruits and vegetables are also common themes for baby hats. Here are some really cute ones.

8. Cassandra’s Sweet Watermelon beanie

Image source: Little Red Window

This free baby hat knitting pattern is definitely a beanie for summer. The baby looks delicious. All it took is some clever colour work. Why didn’t I think of that? Get the pattern of Watermelon Beanie.

9. Michele’s Berry Baby Hat

Image source: Michele

This berry hat is knitted in the round in stockinette stitch. Michele made use of stockinette’s tendency to curl to create the brim. The green stem is incorporated using a stranded colourwork technique. What a good idea. It makes the stem much more realistic.

14. Minion’s hat

Image source: Maura Houston at Ravelry

Since the release of Despicable Me, so many of us have fallen in love with the minions. Their unintelligible speech and love of adventure and bananas. This is again, a basic beanie knitted in yellow with the goggles crocheted and sewn in. Get the pattern of Minion’s hat.

15. Elf’s hat

Image source: Lusianna at Ravelry

Clever shaping creates the shape of this little hat. It requires a little more skill but isn’t too difficult to pick up. And isn’t it cute? Knit them for your little cutie pies. Get the pattern of Elf’s hat.

Intarsia Patterns

16. Marianna’s Fair Isle Flower Baby Hat

Image source: Marianna

This beanie looks easy but can be challenging for knitters new to fair isle and knitting it in the round. After tackling the fair isle pattern, there is the decreases. But it looks so sweet. Try it anyway. Get the pattern of Fair Isle Flower Baby Hat.

17. Maria’s Little Scallops Baby Hat

Image source: Maria Carlander

Maria’s English pattern is a little sparse but I think it is still manageable. She created a little chart to show how to knit the scallops using 2 different colours. It is not that different from the Berry Baby Hat featured. I like the fact that she combines a mild grey with a bright orange and a bright red colour. The combination gives a nice contrast. Get the pattern of Little Scallops Baby Hat.

18. Pandemonium

Image source: Karin Mackey

Pandas epitomized cuteness. So a cap with a row of panda heads as a pattern means cuteness overload. Get the pattern of Pandamonium beanie

19. R2D2 Beanie

Image source: Carissa Knits

For that Star Wars Fan in your family or friends, knit away. *Grin*. Get the pattern of R2D2 beanie.

Stitch Textures

20. Justyna’s I Heart Cables

Image source: Justyna

This cute little winter hat is knitted in the round with simple cables. The pattern includes the version with earflaps and another like a beanie. The earflap version is finished with an i-cord string and pompom. Gender neutral, very nice. Get the pattern of I Heart Cables Beanie.

21. Laura’s Garter Ear Flap Hat

Image source: Laura at Purl Soho

Laura always produced very good pictures illustrating her pattern. I learnt a great deal about stitches and shaping following her patterns and instructions. This earflap pixie hat has a really interesting shape and her choice of yarn makes sure this is a squishy hat. Mostly garter stitch with clear shaping. Get the pattern of Laura’s Loop Garter Ear Flap Hat.

22. Cutie Pointed Hat with Ear Flaps

Image source: Red Heart

I think this is a really sweet hat. The ear flaps are knitted first and join together using circular needles. When the ear flaps are connected, the hat is joined in the round and knitted up to the top. Follow the decreases to shape the pointed top. Get the pattern of Cutie Pointed Hat with Ear Flaps.

23. Kersten’s Bitty Beanie

Image source: Little Miss Stitcher

This little hat spots a seed texture band and a stockinette body. The 2 little flower buttons complete the look. Use neutral colours and basic shape buttons to make the hat gender-neutral. Get the pattern of Kersten’s Bitty Beanie.

Knitted Flat

24. Preemie hat with a rolled edge

Image source: Love Knitting

This sweet little hat is knitted flat. The side seam is sewn together to form the tube. The top seam is then knitted close and the 2 corner sewn down in the centre. You can also knit it in the round and only seam the top. Get the pattern of Preemie Hat with Rolled Edge.